Marcus, London, UK

“I was born and I still reside in London, England. I got into running through a bet from a friend to do a 10k, I loved it and shortly afterward I completed my first marathon in 2008. I’ve gone on to run eight marathons including, the London, Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Edinburgh marathons plus others.

I’ve found that other people and ourselves can put so many limitations on what we are and what we could be, that it constricts you as a person. But self-belief requires daily nurture, like other things. You can’t train a muscle once and expect it to stay strong for life. I use marathon training in the same fashion. I use it as a challenge to remind myself to not place unnecessary limitations on who I am, and it helps me with the challenges I face in my life.

Marathon training has also taught me that you can’t live without failing but the fear of failing can stop you living.

There are lots of different treatments for mental health and your doctor is best placed to advise if your struggling. But I believe that physical activity and connecting with others can help alongside other treatment.

Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication but without the side-effects, of course. In addition to relieving depression symptoms, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent people from relapsing. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.

The benefits of physical exercise, have really helped in regards to the mental health challenges I’ve faced. And it is my goal to encourage other people in a similar situation to gain this benefit. And also witness other positive benefits of running in other aspects in their lives.

It’s my goal to set up a running club, which focuses on well-being, togetherness rather than egos and pbs. The running club is called Team Revenant. The word Revenant means someone who returns from a long absence, or a person or thing reborn. With depression, it can bring people down, but I want to encourage people that there is a way back. Get in touch for more information.

1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. I am one of those people, I’ve been dealing and managing with these challenges since I was a teenager.

My challenge for 2016 is to run four UK marathons in one year starting in Manchester and ending in Chelmsford. I’m documenting the journey on my blog with the intention to bring awareness to the fact, that mental health is just as important as physical health.

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About

MH Stories started as 'This Is What A Person With Mental Illness Looks Like' a project to raise awareness as well as educate people on mental health. Doing this by sharing stories from people who have struggled/are still struggling with their mental health. And to show people that it doesn't matter their age, gender, race, or economic status, mental illness can affect anyone.